REPUBLIC vs. COURT OF APPEAL; EX PARTE GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION [2002]DLSC1230

REPUBLIC vs. COURT OF APPEAL; EX PARTE GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK PENSIONERS ASSOCIAT... [2002]DLSC1230

Date	2002-05-29
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2002]DLSC1230

BAMFORD-ADDO JSC

KPEGAH JSC

ADJABENG JSC

ATUGUBA JSC

AFREH JSC

DR EKOW DANIELS FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPLICANT.

A NORVOR FOR THE DEFENDANT-BANK-RESPONDENT.

[2002]DLSC1230
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">COURT OF APPEAL; EX PARTE GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK PENSIONERS
ASSOCIATION<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2001-2002]
1 GLR 502<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DR
EKOW DANIELS FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPLICANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

A
NORVOR FOR THE DEFENDANT-BANK-RESPONDENT.
<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

BAMFORD-ADDO,
KPEGAH, ADJABENG, ATUGUBA AND AFREH JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Afreh JSC. <o:p></o:p>Delivered
the ruling of the court. This is an application for an order of certiorari to
quash the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered on or about 20 December
2001 and for an order of mandamus to compel the Court of Appeal to rehear and
determine the matter before it according to law in conformity with rules 31 and
32 of the Court of Appeal Rules, 1997 (CI 19). The order of the Court of Appeal
was to send the case back to the High Court to deal with it from the date the
defendant in the High Court submitted to judgment.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff-association is made up of pioneer staff who worked to establish the
Ghana Commercial Bank. At the commencement of the suit before the High Court in
January 1995 it had about 770 members but as at January 2002, when the instant
application was brought, about 89 of them had died, remaining 681.<o:p></o:p>In
1976 a scheme was introduced by the bank known as the Ghana Commercial Bank
Special Pension Scheme. The objects of the scheme included the following: (a)
to serve and reward for long service and devotion to duty; and (b) to provide
employees with satisfaction that they need not have financial worries because
of age or infirmity. The directors of the bank for the time being were the
trustees of the scheme which came into operation on 1 October 1976. At its
meeting held on 27 February 1987 the board of trustees approved a proposal for
the revision of the pension scheme as presented to it in a memo dated 13 February
1987. The proposal which was approved was in these terms:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“In
October 1986 . . . the government approved new pensions for the Civil Service
based on 70 per cent of the existing salary of those on retirement. The board
of trustees of Ghana Commercial Bank Special Staff Pension Scheme at a meeting
held on 17 December 1986, agreed that proportionate adjustments should be
effected to the bank’s pensions based on current basic salaries with effect
from October 1986. It was also agreed to recommend automatic adjustments of
pensions whenever salaries change.”<o:p></o:p>Following
disputes between the association and the bank over the bank’s obligations under
the scheme the association brought an action on 23 January 1995 in the High
Court seeking, inter alia, the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(1)
a declaration that the plaintiffs are entitled to be paid their pension rights
in accordance with the defendants’ board of directors amendment decisions of 27
February 1987;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">